Portable automatic bed lifter and exerciser



May 8, 1956 M. WASHER 2 2,744,522

PORTABLE AUTOMATIC BED LIFTER AND EXERCISER Filed March 5, 1953 INVENTOR M Orr-(s Washer United States Patent PORTABLE AUTOMATIC BED LIFTER AND EXERCISER Morris Washer, Memphis, Tenn.

Application March 5,1953, Serial No. 340,496

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-33) This invention relates to a portable automatic bed lifter and exerciser for periodically raising and lowering the head or feet of a patient,

More particularly the invention relates to a hingedly mounted platform insertable under either the upper or lower extremities of a patient and automatically powerdriven in raising and lowering cycles of pre-selectable amplitude and duration. Specifically the invention .relates to a pair of hingedly connected panels adapted to overlie or underlie the upper or lower third of a mattress and automatically power-driven in raising and lowering cycles of adjustable amplitude and duration, the upper panel being optionally padded or otherwise made resilient for comfort.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a portable therapeutic or exercising device for automatically periodically raising and lowering the head or feet of a bed patient.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safe, simple and easily installable, operable and adjustable, automatic periodic lifter for the head or foot portion of a bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable device for tilting the sleeping or supporting surface of a bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this type which is economical of construction, durable and esthetically pleasing.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve the design and efiiciency of bed lifters of the automatically cycling type.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an electric-motordriven bed lifter according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view, from the left, of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structure of Figs. 1 and 2, partly broken away.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational end view in section taken as on the line IVIV of Fig. 1, enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view in section taken as on the line V--V of Fig. 3, enlarged scale.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, the invention is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 as being associated with a conventional metal-framed bed comprising head and foot portions 11 and 13 formed of metal tubes bent into inverted U-shape. Each head and foot portion may include a cross bar 15 (Fig. 2) and one or more vertical braces 17 welded together to form conventional bed ends, including angle-bar spring or mattress supporting rails or bars 18. Side rails or bars 19 connect the bed end portions together in well-known manner to form the bed frame ice 2 18, 19 as by engagement of beaded pins 21 in bayonettype slots 23 in connectors 25. Connectors 25 are welded to the frames 11 and 13.

Supported by and on the assembled bed frame structure in conventional manner (as by flat or coiled bed spring units, not shown) is a mattress 27, upon the head or foot portion of which the apparatus embodying the present invention is adapted to rest and to cover approximately a third of the surface thereof.

In Figs. 1 to 5, the bed lifter comprises a lower member 31, preferably formed as a rectangular frame, each element of which is a flat metallic bar of a width sufficient to form a frame of great horizontal rigidity and a thickness sufficient to resist twisting or permanent bending in use. Frame 31 can be formed of separate bars,

welded or otherwise rigidly connected at their ends, or

be die-cut from a piece of sheet metal. The rear (apparatus-carrying) element 31A is preferably wider and/or thicker than the side elements 31B for additional strength and rigidity. The front bar or element 31C preferably has its front edge feathered at 31D so as to provide a ridgeless transition from the lifter to the mattress 27, and has its rear edge perforated at regularly spaced intervals (not shown) for a purpose later to be specified.

The tiltable member 33 of the lifting apparatus comprises a U-shaped frame 34 which may conveniently be formed of a single piece of angle bar bent, or a plurality of angle bars welded together, to produce the desired frame shape. The frame 34 in its lowered position (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) lies within the frame of the lower member 31. The free ends of the legs of the U-frame 34 are pivotally connected to the sides of the base frame 31 by any suitable means, such as headed screws 35 (Fig. 4) passing loosely through apertures in the upstanding flanges 34A of frame 34 and tightly screwed into a threaded bore in a bearing lug 37 welded or otherwise attached to the lower frame elements 31B, or if desired, suitable hinge pins of other specific form may be employed.

The lower and inwardly directed flanges 34B of the U-shaped frame 34 have spaced apertures 34C therein to receive hooks 38 by which the spring webbing 40 is anchored to the frame 34. Spring webbing 40 forms a tightly stretched support for the pad 39, upon which a part of the patients body rests, for being alternately raised and lowered. The forward edge of spring webbing 40 is attached to the rear edge of the front member 31C of the lower or stationary frame member 31, by having hook-bent wire ends 38 received in the perforations of bar 31C previously described. This connection readily and safely permits the limited amount of pivoting required between bar 31C and the tilting frame 34, including the spring webbing stretched thereacross. A thin cushion pad 39 fits snugly within the shallow three-sided tray-like pocket formed by the three angle bars 34A and the spring webbing bottom 49 of the tilting member 34. The forward edge of pad 39 may be feathered at 39A or made of a thinner extension portion, if and as desired for additional comfort.

Rigidly attached to the rear bar 31A of stationary or base frame 31 and extending upwardly therefrom is an inverted U-shaped support 41 for the operating mechanism. Support 41 has laterally bent lower extremities or feet 42 apertured to receive headed screws 43 by which support 41 is anchored to frame bar 31A. Transversely supported, in frame 43, as by brackets 45, is a two-piece platform 47 and 48 upon whicha reversible electric motor 49 and speed-reduction gear box 51 drivingly connected thereto, are mounted. Spaced tapped holes 41A ment of platform 47.

Extending through gear box 51 and laterally from each side thereof is the driven shaft 53. Shaft 53 may be provided, inside the gear box, with stop means (not shown) for limiting rotation of said shaft to the one hundred eighty degrees necessary to raise and lower tfltable member 34, and is further provided near each end with a transverse diametrical bore to receive therein a radially extending arm 55. Each arm 55 is held in desired adjustable position in said bore by a set screw 57, selectively entering spaced holes 58 in the arm 55. The outer ends of arms 55 carry eye-type connectors 59 for swivel coupling with the upper hooked ends 61 of the lifting cables 63. Cables 63 are provided with hooks 65 at their lower ends for swivel coupling with eyes 67 welded or otherwise firmly attached to (or formed in) the rear bar of tiltable frame 34. The top of support 41. and the shelf 47 are spaced to lie in the rotational path of movement of arms 55 and respectively act as stops to prevent movement of arms 55 more than a short distance beyond their vertical up and down positions.

Mounted in any convenient and easily accessible position, such as on the top of the bight portion of the inverted U-shaped support frame 41 is the control device 71, the detailed construction of which forms no part of the present invention.

Control device 71 is connected to motor 49 by the multiple-wire cable 73 and to a source of power by the electric cord 75 and plug 77.

In the operation of the device, motor 49 is set into operation by control 71, either manually or automatically, and transverse shaft 53 is rotated substantially through one half revolution. Shaft rotation accomplishes corresponding swinging of arms 55 through a similar arc of approximately one hundred eighty degres (180), thus effecting shift of the tiltable section 33 through the cable coupling between the arms and the section. Thus it will be seen that when section 33 is in lowered condition resting on base section 31, arms 55 are extended substantially vertically downwardly, and upon shaft drive the arms are swung to extend substantially vertically upwardly, effecting lift of the tiltable section about hinge means to raised tilted position. The amount of such raising is governed by the radial length of arms 55, the total lift equalling twice such radial length and as such length is adjustable, accordingly the extent of the lift may be modified. When it is desired to return section 33 to lowered condition the operation is reversed and shaft 53 oppositely rotated, returning arms to depending position.

The entire device is removably rested on the bed or mattress 27 and is installed by merely seating base section 31 thereon in desired position.

While the lifting apparatus has been shown only in use above the mattress, it should be noted that where the elevation is not great or the mattress is thin and/or flexible, the lifting apparatus could be placed under the mattress.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for raising and lowering an end portion of a bed, comprising a relatively flat base member adapted for resting on a horizontally disposed bed structure, a U-shaped tiltable rigid frame member tiltable from a folded position in which the margins of said base and of said frame are closely adjacent and substantially parallel to each other to an expanded position in which said frame is tilted to define a wedge-shaped space between itself and said base member, the free ends of said U-shaped tiltable frame being pivotally connected to said base member, and a flexible ply member stretched across and attached to the frame formed by said U-shaped frame member and that portion of the base member bridging the free ends of said U-shaped member, said U-shaped frame member being formed of angle bars so oriented that the one web of each bar extends upwardly to form a retaining rim around the margin of said U-shaped frame member for holding a pad or like cover on said flexible ply.

2. In a device for raising and lowering a part of a bed surface, a stationary base member adapted to rest upon horizontally disposed bed structure, a relatively flat tiltable bed-portion-supporting member hingedly connected along one edge thereof to said base member, said edge in use normally extending transversely of a bed in the central portion thereof, an upright standard rigidly attached to the rear marginal portion of said base mom ber, a reversible electric motor mounted on said standard, speed reduction means driven by said motor, at least one adjustable amplitude crank-like means driven by said speed reduction means between a lowered position and a raised position, and tension means connecting said crank means to said tiltable member, whereby the latter is raised and lowered by movements of said crank-like means to and from its raised position from and to its lowered position.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 and additionally comprising stop means for substantially limiting the movement of said crank-like means against over-travel beyond limits producing the desired range of up and down movement of said tiltable member.

4. in a device for raising and lowering a part of a bed surface, a stationary base member adapted to rest upon horizontally disposed bed structure, a relatively flat tiltable bed-portion-supporting member hingedly connected along one edge thereof to said base member, said edge in use normally extending transversely of a bed in the central portion thereof, an upright standard rigidly attached to the rear marginal portion of said base member, motor means mounted on said standard, adjustable amplitude driven means, said motor means being drivingly coupled to said driven means, to shift said driven means between a lowered position and a raised position, and tension means connecting said driven means to said tiltable member, whereby the latter is raised and lowered by shift of said driven means between its said positions.

5. In a device for raising and lowering a part of a bed surface, a stationary base member adapted to rest upon horizontally disposed bed structure, a relatively flat tiltable bed-portion-supporting member hingedly connected along one edge thereof to said base member, said edge in use normally extending transversely of a bed in the central portion thereof, an upright standard rigidly attached to the rear marginal portion of said base member, motor means mounted on said standard, at least one adjustable amplitude crank-like means coupled to and driven by said motor means between a lowered position and a raised position, and tension means connecting said crank means to said tiltable member, whereby the latter is raised and lowered by movements of said crank-like means to and from its raised position from and to its lowered position.

6. In a device for raising and lowering a part of a bed surface, a stationary base member adapted to rest upon horizontally disposed bed structure, a relatively fiat tiltable bed-portion-supporting member hingedly connected along one edge thereof to said base member, said edge in use normally extending transversely of a bed in the central portion thereof, an upright standard rigidly attached to the rear marginal portion of said base member, motor means mounted on said standard, speed rcduction means driven by said motor, at least one adjustable amplitude crank-like means driven by said speed reduction means between a lowered position and a raised position, and tension means connecting said crank means to said tiltable member, whereby the latter is raised and lowered by movements of said crank-like means to and from its raised position from and to its lowered position.

(References on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS Akin Aug. 9, 1910 Belles June 4, 1912 Smith May 31, 1927 Ginsberg Apr. 6, 1943 Carter Ian. 2, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Denmark Oct. 14, 1921 Germany Aug. 20, 1913 Germany Aug. 3, 1933 France Oct. 26, 1936 

